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Watercolor depiction of a street scene

Folio from the Silsilat al-dhahab (Chain of gold) in the Haft awrang (Seven thrones) by Jami (d. 1492); recto: A father advises his son about love; verso: text; calligrapher: Malik al-Daylami; Iran, Safavid period, 1556–65; opaque watercolor, ink and gold on paper; Freer Gallery of Art, Purchase, F1946.12.52

A father advises his son about love in this folio from an Iranian manuscript. Share a tidbit of your own love advice for Valentine’s Day.

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The Smithsonian Institution (the “Smithsonian”) provides the content on this website (www.si.edu), other Smithsonian websites, and third-party sites on which it maintains a presence (“SI Websites”) in support of its mission for the “increase and diffusion of knowledge.” The Smithsonian invites visitors to use its online content for personal, educational and other non-commercial purposes. By using the SI Websites, you accept and agree to abide by the following terms.

Intellectual Property Rights in Content

The Smithsonian is the owner of the compilation of content that is posted on the SI Websites, which consists of text, images, audio, video, databases, design, codes and software (“Content”). However, the Smithsonian does not necessarily own each component of the compilation. The Content that the Smithsonian makes available on the SI Websites may be owned by the Smithsonian, owned by others and used with their permission (such as user-generated content), or used in accordance with applicable law. Some Content is in the public domain and some Content is protected by third party rights, such as copyright, trademark, rights of publicity, privacy, and contractual restrictions.

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For commonly asked questions about use of Smithsonian content, see FAQs below.

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Frequently Asked Questions and Answers

May I put Smithsonian Content on my personal website, blog or my Facebook® (or other social networking) page?

Yes, so long as you:
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Is it an unauthorized use if the host of my website or blog adds advertising to my website or blog?

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I love the Smithsonian sunburst logo! May I use it on my website?

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But what if I want use the Smithsonian logo as a link to the Smithsonian website?

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May I use Smithsonian Content on t-shirts that I plan to sell?

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If I find Smithsonian Content on a website such as the Flickr Commons and the Content is described as having “no known copyright restriction,” how may I use the Content?

The phrase “no known copyright restriction” means that the Smithsonian has determined, to the best of its ability based on available information, that the Content is unlikely to be protected by copyright interests and, in all likelihood, is in the public domain. However, copyright is often difficult to determine with certainty, so the phrase is intended to say that the Smithsonian is unaware of any copyright restriction, but such restrictions may still exist. In addition, even if the Content is unrestricted from a copyright standpoint, there may be other considerations that would limit your use, such as rights of privacy or publicity of the individuals featured in the images, or contractual restrictions. For these reasons, the Smithsonian makes its content available for personal and non-commercial educational uses consistent with the principles of fair use. If you decide to use the Content for commercial or other purposes without undertaking to clear all rights, you will be responsible if someone else owns the rights and the owner objects to your use.

How may I use Smithsonian Content in my research paper or other class work?

You may quote, describe, or include a copy of Smithsonian Content so long as you:
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How may I use Smithsonian Content in my lectures/lesson plans?

There are many opportunities to include Smithsonian Content in your teaching. Please visit the Smithsonian Center for Education and Museum Studies for more information. In addition to the foregoing, the Smithsonian invites you to make educational or fair use of its Content so long as you:

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